Inglis / Yankeetown – August Fishing Report

The dog days are here. It is hot before the sun even comes up. You need to plan your trips accordingly to be successful this time of year, more so than others, safety being number one. Make sure if you plan to spend any time on the water, to bring plenty to drink with you, stay hydrated. Sunscreen and Chap Stick is another must for me. You don’t want one day of fun to turn into a week of misery.

The redfish and snook will be doing most of their feeding first thing in the morning, or late in the afternoon. I will always start my morning with a top-water bait of some kind. This time of year, I like to throw the bigger mirrolure baits, like the she dog or top dog. These are great redfish and snook baits. Make sure, that if the plug you are using doesn’t have a swivel on it, to tie a loop knot to get the most action out of the bait. I will concentrate on the outer bars and spoil islands with deeper water close by. This will normally have good moving water and should be a degree or two cooler, and that will make a big difference in the number of fish there.

The triple tail can still be found around mats of floating grass or crab trap buoys. These are fun to catch on fly, or live shrimp is just about a guarantee. With the water temps in the 90’s, the trout are going to be buried deep. I like to concentrate on the 5-foot zone and use a zman trout trick eye jig head to put these guys in the boat.

Once the sun has gotten up high in the sky, the nice thing about this time of year, is that you can take a little boat ride just south, and let the air conditioner blow on you for a little bit, and jump in and grab some scallops in Crystal River. It’s a great way to cool off, and another item to take to the house to cook up.

Until next month, have fun, be safe and take your kids fishing. Also, if you are interested in a tarpon trip in St. Petersburg, let me know, because we are in full swing down there, and the bite has been hot. Remember to stop in and get everything you need for your day on the water from Mr. Jim at Captain’s Cove Outfitters; he might even give up one or two of my secret baits.

Capt. Craig Spitznogle
Florida Flats Charter Co.
www.floridaflatscharterco.com